The Friends of Hellenic National Parks is a non-profit organization
founded in 2021
that promotes the connection between people and their natural environment.
Purposes of the Friends
The general purpose of the organisation, according to its statutes, is the protection, preservation and restoration of the natural environment and the rational and prudent management of nature by man, both within the protected areas and around or outside these areas.
Specific purposes include:
- η θεσμοθέτηση νέων προστατευόμενων περιοχών και η επέκταση των υφιστάμενων, ώστε να καλύπτουν ένα αντιπροσωπευτικό μέρος των φυσικών οικοσυστημάτων,
- to improve current management methods of the natural environment, both in and around protected areas, based on the following key principles, in order of priority: the recognition of the intrinsic value of nature, the need for man to connect with it, and finally the utilisation of the services and benefits that ecosystems provide to man
- conservation of natural ecosystems and the restoration of their natural functions, both in and around protected areas
- to conserve endangered species, restore their populations and range, and reintroduce them into areas where they have been extirpated,
- to actively involve citizens in the management of the natural environment,
- to support the work of, and cooperate with government authorities.
What do we need national parks and other protected areas for?
National Parks are large areas of land or sea where natural ecosystems are protected and human activities are either restricted or regulated.
All protected areas are established to preserve nature: to protect the integrity of ecosystems and natural conditions so as to ensure the protection of species, their habitats and the ecological and evolutionary processes that sustain them.
Within protected areas, priority should therefore be given to the conservation of the natural landscape, native species and ecosystem functions.
Some human activities, if properly regulated, can contribute to the management of these areas: small-scale livestock, agriculture, forestry, fisheries and ecotourism.
However, large works, mining, industrial activities and hunting as a "sport" should not be allowed in these areas.
Is the establishment of several national parks enough to ensure nature protection?
More than 200,000 protected areas have been established across the globe, covering 15% of its land area. Yet a third of these are under "intense human pressure" according to a 2020 study.
In our country, national parks and other smaller protected areas are subject to numerous human pressures. Traditional pressures and threats (such as roads and other construction projects, tourism development, illegal hunting, pollution) are constantly being aggravated by new ones (e.g. investment in renewable energy projects).
At the same time, the legal protection status of most areas in our country has not been clearly defined. Areas that were designated as "protected" 25 years ago, are still "waiting" for the legislation that will specify what is allowed within them, what is prohibited and how they will be managed. Worse still, sometimes the current status of an area is changed for the worse, depending on the pressures of economic interests.
It is therefore necessary to clarify, both in our national legislation and in our collective consciousness, why we want protected areas and what purposes we want them to serve.
One-day workshop on the presentation of the Hellenic Tree Register
November 29, 2024
09.00-15.00
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Titania Hotel, 52 Panepistimiou str., Athens
The event is funded by the Green Fund under the "Extroversion 2024" programme